Adjustable awning-supporting frame structure



FeFa. I2, 1957 D. A. EAGLESON 2,780,847

ADJUSTABLE AWNING-SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE Filed June 18, 1954 INVENTOR fiwvz'ai i Z'ezykaon ATTORNEY Unite ADJUSTABLE AWNING-SUPPORTINGFRAME STRUCTURE This invention is concerned with the mounting andsupport of awnings and other protective panels or appliances carried onthe exteriors of building walls in registry with window and dooropenings formed therein, and for covering patios or the like.

Modern awnings, or other protective appliances for door and windowopenings, are formed quite commonly to comprise translucent or opaque,substantially rigid sheets or panels composed of synthetic resincomposit ons, fiber glass, aluminum, and the like. The mounting of suchpanel-type awnings in secure operative positions in connection withassociated building walls and the dis mounting thereof often presentdifficult, laborious, time consuming, and hazardous working conditions.This is particularly true in providing securely mounted, waterexcludingappliances wherein the panels or sheets thereof are maintained indesired angular planes of operation relative to, the vertical planes ofassociated building walls, and wherein provision is made enabling rainwater or the like to flow over the supporting frame without enteringcrevices or joints formed thereby.

Accordingly, the present invention has for one of its outstandingobjects to provide an adjustable supporting frame which embodies astationary, wall-mounted base section and a relatively movablepanel-carrying section, the latter being mounted on the base section forswinging movement relative thereto about a substantially hori zontalaxis, whereby to provide for ready adjustment in the operative plane ofthe awning sheet or panel and to secure in all such operative positionsof the base and panel sections a water-excluding union therebetween.

Another object is to provide an awning-supporting frame structure ofthis character wherein the base section is formed so that it may befirst secured in its stationary operative position on the exterior of abuilding, and thereafter to permit of the pivotal attachment of theassociated movable panel section therewith.

A further object is to provide a supporting frame structure forpanel-type awnings wherein said structure is formed to embody awall-mounted base section composed of a back wall having a forwardlyprojecting bottom flange which terminates outwardly in an upstanding,horizontal and longitudinally extending rib formed with an arcuatebearing surface, and wherein the frame structure further includes amovable panel-carrying section, the latter having its under surfaceformation longitudinally grooved for the reception of the rib, in orderthat the wall surfaces of the groove may have direct seating and rockingengagement with the arcuate bearing surfaces of the rib, whereby toenable the panel section to fulcrum on the rib of the base section in amanner maintaining an tates Patent 6 ice awning panel or sheet carriedby the panel section in a desired plane of operation angular to that ofan associated building wall.

For a further understanding of the invention, including additionalobjects and advantages thereof and a detailed explanation of a preferredstructural embodiment of the invention, reference may now be had to thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a panel-type window awning in anoperative position and supported by the adjustable frame constructionforming the present inv vention;

4 Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken through theconstruction on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there has been disclosed at1 a panel-type awning in the form of a corrugated, substantially rigidsheet of translucent material, such as a heat-cured, synthetic resinproduct, which may, if desired, be color tinted and have incorporatedtherein reinforcing fibers. Also, the awning may be formed from sheetaluminum or other lightweight, substantially opaque material, eitherplain or corrugated. The dimensions of the awning are controlled bythose of the window 2, wall opening or area over and in registry withwhich the awning is used.

In effecting the support of such an awning in its operative position,use is made of a frame structure indicated at F. The frame structure inthis instance embodies a stationary, wall-mounted base orcornice-forming section 3, hereinafter referred to as the base section,and a cooperative, pivotally movable and adjustable panel-carryingsection 4, the latter being hereinafter referred to as the panelsection.

Each of these sections comprises in its preferred form an elongatedmetallic extrusion, the parts of which are of the same length and ofuniform transverse cross-sectional configuration. The base section 3 isformed, in the specific embodiment thereof illustrated, to comprise anelongated, vertically disposed back wall 5, the rear surface of which isformed with vertically spaced, longitudinally extending, parallelspacing beads 6. The latter engage with the outer surface of anassociated building wall 7 in which a window or other wall opening 2 maybe formed, spacing the major area of the rear surface of the rear wall 5of the base section from the building wall so that when the attachingscrews 8, or other equivalent fastening means, are tightened, firm andsecure contact along parallel lines is produced between the base sectionand the building wall, while at the same time providing longitudinallycoextensive grooves or recesses therebetween for the reception of acaulking or mastic compound.

In this instance the base section at the lower longitudinal edge regionof the wall 5 thereof is formed with an ilntegral, forwardly andhorizontally projecting bottom flange 9. The outer longitudinal regionsof the flange 9 merge into a generally upstanding rib 10 which, in turn,terminates in a transversely semicircular, longitudinally extending lip11 having its upper and outer portions formed to present an arcuatebearing surface 12. Also, integrally formed with and projectingforwardly and horizontally from the upper region of the back wall 5 ofthe base section 3 is an upper or cap fiange 13, the

.of the awning panel or sheet 1.

outer or free edge 14 of the latter possessing a slight downwardcurvature and having limited resiliency. The edge 14 of the upper flangeis spaced from the bearing surface 12 of the lip 11, so that the basesection 3 is formed with an open front.

The open front of the base section normally receives and is closed bythe rear portion of the panel section 4. Advantageously, the panelsection comprises an integral extruded body of metal, consisting of abottom plate 15 and a cap plate 16, the plates 15 and 16 being unitedcontiguous to their rear edge portions by a connecting web 17. At theregion of juncture of the bottom plate 15 with the web 17, the panelsection of the awning-supporting frame F includes a semicircular wallformation, formed by opposed, downwardly directed, arcuate flanges l8and 19, which define a downwardly facing, longitudinally extendinggroove20. i

In the assembly of the frame structure, the base section is firstsecured in its stationary operative position on the building wall 7above the windo'w'or door opening or area to be protected by a panelawning.' When so positioned, the panel section 4 is adjustably unitedtherewith by placing the panel section 4 in the vertical dependentposition shown by brokenlines in Fig. 2. When in this latter position,the curved lip 11 receives the grooved region 20 of the'panel section,with the areuate flange 18 of the panel section in supporting contactwith the arcuate bearing surface 12 of said lip. Thereafter, the section4, with the awning panel 1 securely united therew1th, is turned bodilyabout the longitudinal pivotal or fulcrum axis provided by the lipsurface 20, such bodily turning movement enabling the awning panel 1 toassume a desired operative position in which the panel is disposed indownwardly and outwardly extending angular order with respect to thebuilding wall 7 and the frame structure F. The panel section may then beheld in such operative position of adjustment by the employment of bracerods 21 carried by and extending between the wall 7 below the framestructure and the outer side regions of the awning panel 1. It will heunderstood that the angle of the awning panel relative to its supportingwall may be adjusted by varying the length or position of the associatedbrace rods 21. i i

It will be noted that when the panel 1 is operatively positioned, asshown in full lines in Fig. 2, the arcuate inner region 22 of the capplate 16 has its upper surface arranged to engage frictionally andfirmly the under surface of the curved and resilient outer edge region14 of the cap flange 13. This relative engagement of the frame sectionscloses the open front of the base section and provides a water-sheddingwall structure which we vents rain water and other moisture fromentering the interior joints of the united frame sections. In securingthe awning sheet or panel 1 to the frame section 4, the upperlongitudinal edge regions of the corrugated sheet or panel 1 areinserted into the receiving p ocket or recess 23 provided thereforbetween the relatively spaced bot tom and cap plates 15 and'16 and theweb 17 i In this instance the sheet or panel 1 is'securely retained insaid recess by providing the plate 15 adjacent its ends with extensionbars 24, the upper ends of the latter being fastened to the plate 15 byfastening devices 25, the shanks of the latter being received inregistering openings formed in the plate 15 and the upper ends of thebars 24, and the lower and outer ends of said bars being shouldered, asat 25, to abut the lower and-outer edges This construction, inconnection with the clamping action exerted on the sheet or panel 1 bythe plates 15 and 16 of the frame section 4, holds the sheet or panelsecurely in its operative position of association with the framestructure. It will be appreciated that'this construction applies toeither plain or corrugated awning sheets or panels and to corrugatedsheets in which the parallel ribs and grooves thereof ex tend eitherparallel or perpendicular to the plane of the frame structure.

I claim:

1. An adjustable supporting frame for awnings, com prising: awall-mounted, relatively stationary base section composed of a verticalback wall from which projects spaced upper and lower cap and baseflanges, said cap flange having a resilient outer edge portion, saidbase flange terminating along its outer longitudinally extending edgeregion in an upwardly directed rib having at the top thereof a roundedbearing surface; a complcmental movable awning-carrying sectionembodying integrally joined upper and lower plates relatively spaced topro vide between the same a confining pocket for the reception andretention of the upper longitudinal edge region of an associated awning,the lower plate of said awningcarrying section being formed with alongitudinally extending groove, the wall surfaces of said groove havingfreely acting pivotally movable seating engagement on the roundedbearing surfaces of said rib and the upper plate of said panel sectionhaving an arcuately formed, inner, longitudinally extending regionhaving bearing con tact with the outer edge region of the cap flange ofsaid base section; and brace means arranged between an associatedbuilding wall and said awning-carrying section for maintaining thelatter in various positions of swinging adjustment about the roundedbearing surface of said base section.

2. An awning-supporting frame comprising: a wallmounted, relativelystationary base section, said section consisting of a one-piece metallicextrusion shaped to present a vertical rear wall and forwardly andsubstantially horizontally extending, vertically spaced and longi-tudinally disposed top and bottom flanges, said lower panel sectionbeing formed adjacent to its inner longitudinal edge with a groovereceiving and engaging the bearing region of the upstanding rib of saidbase section and on which'the panel section fulcrums freely forpositional adjustment, the upper plate of said panel section having itsinner longitudinally extending region projected into the open front ofsaid base section for engagement with the complemental resilient outeredge region of the uppr flan ge of s'aid base section; and brace meansjoined With tlie'awning supporting section for maintaining itspositional adjustment in relation to an associated building wall.

' I 3L A supporting appliance for rigid shade panels comprising: anintegral, channel shaped, base member formed for'stationar'y applicationto a building wall; said member including a substantially vertical backwall, vertically spaced, forwardly and outwardly projecting top andbottom walls, and an open front, the upper wall of said base memberprojecting in cantilever order from said back wall and having itsforward longitudinal edge terminated abovesaid bottom wall to providethe base member with an open front, the forward portion of the bottomtending groove receiving the lip formation of said memher and providingfor freely movable turning movement of the panel section thereon, saidpanel section at the rear thereof occupying the open front of said basemember and having the rear portion of the upper plate thereof arcualelyformed for engagement with the outer longitudinal edge of said upperplate; a rigid shade panel having an upper edge portion positioned andretained in a space formed between the plates of said panel section andoutwardly of the web thereof; extension bars carried by and projectingforwardly from the lower plate of said panel section for supportingengagement with said shade panel; and brace devices disposed betweensaid bars and the associated building wall for maintaining positionaladjustment'of the panel and panel section with respect to the buildingwall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

